Are Groupon Services all bad? Are they cheap for a good reason?
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| Permanent Makeup Brows |
Let me start with this: laser skin resurfacing works. It works really well. Unfortunately, so does the price tag.
My face was looking tired. Droopy. Large and Dark Melasma had set up permanent residence on both cheeks. It was also spreading to the bridge of my nose. Concealer started out strong every morning but by lunch looked muddy, and by dinner my dark spots were clocking back in for their shift. Photos? No, thank you. My former “good side” had downgraded to “slightly less tragic than the other side.”
In my 30s, I did fillers for volume and those pesky nasolabial folds. Permanent Makeup on the brows really made me feel confident. In my 40s, Botox gave my saggy eyes a lift. Permanent Makeup on the lips (Lip Blushing) restored my lip color. By my 50s, Fillers made me look puffy, and Botox made me look like I was plotting revenge. PRP and PRF microneedling were nice — glowy, subtle — but I needed bigger guns.
Enter: laser resurfacing. There are so many to choose from. But being Asian, I don't have many options.
Every consult told me the same thing: “You’ll need three sessions.”
Me: “Great!”
Also me, after hearing the total cost: “Oh No!.”
Most med spas charge $800–$1,200 per session. Packages of three treatments are estimated at $2,600 or more for whole face treatment. Neck cost extra. Jawline may be included if they’re feeling generous. I started wondering if melasma was just part of my personality now.
And then… I did the thing I tell my own clients NEVER to do.
I went to Groupon.
I found full-face laser for under $500. As someone with Asian skin that hyperpigments if you look at it wrong, this felt bold. Reckless. Possibly stupid. But curiosity and the price tag won.
I called around and asked one key question:
“Are you a nurse practitioner or a doctor?”
If no? Hang up and call the next number on the list.
Eventually, I found someone offering PicoSure Pro for $440, full face session. Her Reviews were mixed — glowing results, but long wait times. Honestly? If the worst complaint is “she runs late,” I can scroll Instagram for 40 minutes.
Appointment day arrived. I panicked. “Why am I discount-shopping for lasers? This is my face.”
She was, in fact, 40 minutes late. The office décor was minimalist chic meets “freshly painted yesterday.” After completing the paperwork, I was whisked into the treatment room and immediately blind folded (for safety). She asked if I had a high pain tolerance. That is not a comforting question.
She suggested skipping numbing cream for better results. I agreed, Because apparently I make bold choices now.
It felt like tiny rubber bands snapping across my face. The smell? Imagine a very small barbecue. The melasma areas required “extra attention.” I clenched my fists and told her to go for it.
Fifteen minutes later, we were done. Pain level: started at a 4/10, ended at a 6/10. Manageable. She even zapped off a few beauty marks for free. Bonus!
Post-care instructions were clear: aloe vera only, no makeup, no acids, hydrate like it’s your job, and SPF 30 daily forever and ever. Redness would last about three days.
Then — LOUD record scratch — I noticed something.
To my horror, there were No visible medical certificates. No degrees on the wall. No obvious Business License to Operate nor County Health Inspection Certs. My stomach dropped. Did I just get lasered by… an actress pretending to be a doctor?
I paid my $400 and left in a mild existential crisis.
That night, my face felt warm. Needless to say, I couldn't sleep that night. Not because of the mild face discomfort, but because I went to someone who did not have all the proper license to operate a laser machine and posing as a nurse practitioner.
The next day, my face was a little pink with light scratch marks on both cheeks. I obediently bathed in aloe. By day three, redness was gone. By day six, most of the scratch marks disappeared. By day eight? A sheer layer of foundation covered what used to require concealer, color corrector, and prayer.
My melasma had significantly lightened and continues to lighten.
So here’s the honest answer:
Will I go back to her? Hard "NO".
Will I do laser resurfacing again — with a licensed, accredited medical professional? "Absolutely Yes".
Laser resurfacing is worth it. Groupon roulette is not.
This is your face. If you’re lasering your butt cheeks, maybe roll the dice. But your face? Too many things can go wrong, and not all mistakes are reversible.
Skip the daily Starbucks. Pass on a few dinners out. Save strategically. Invest in a qualified doctor or nurse. Because glowing skin is fabulous. But glowing skin without panic? Even better.
Written by Pretty Please Studio
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